60-Day Public Comment Period Begins on Applications for CWM Landfill

The public is now invited to review and comment on CWM Chemical Services LLC's proposal for its facility in Model City, Niagara County, the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today. CWM's applications are to build and operate a new landfill to be designated as Residuals Management Unit - Two (RMU-2), and for other storage and treatment units. The proposed RMU-2 landfill and other units will be used to dispose of and manage hazardous and industrial non-hazardous wastes at CWM's existing facility. Public comments will be accepted from May 7 through July 7.

Under the Environmental Conservation Law, the Governor must constitute a Facility Siting Board for CWM's Proposed RMU-2 landfill project. The Facility Siting Board is authorized to make a decision to grant the application for a Certificate of Environmental Safety and Public Necessity for the project, deny it, or grant it subject to modifications or conditions. DEC will announce the appointments to the board when they are made.

"In the coming weeks, DEC will hold a public comment hearing on CWM's draft permit for its proposed facility," DEC Regional Director Abby Snyder said. "DEC will carefully consider all comments before making a final decision on the draft permit."

CWM currently owns and operates a commercial facility for the treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous and industrial non-hazardous wastes on an approximately 710-acre site in the towns of Lewiston and Porter in Niagara County. Wastes accepted at this facility are ultimately disposed of in an on-site landfill or shipped to another appropriate facility for further processing and disposal. CWM currently operates under a required Part 373 Hazardous Waste Permit. If approved, this would authorize an expansion in CWM's current operations to include a new landfill. The new landfill would:

occupy approximately 43.5 acres and be located just west of CWM's existing RMU-1 Landfill (figure available on DEC's website below);

have a designed capacity of approximately 4 million cubic yards for the disposal of hazardous and industrial non-hazardous wastes;

reach its design capacity in a projected 10 to 20 years;

possess a double, composite liner system consisting of natural and synthetic materials with primary and secondary systems for leachate collection and removal; and

meet stringent regulatory operating and design requirements.

In addition to the development of the proposed RMU-2 Landfill, CWM is proposing to construct and operate a number of new and modified waste storage treatment units, intended to replace existing units that would close during RMU-2 construction.

DEC will schedule a public hearing to accept comments. Written comments can be sent anytime throughout the comment period to: